Combat rules summary for Dragon Pass and Nomad Gods

This page attempts to summarise all the information you need during the combat phase of Dragon Pass and Nomad Gods. It assumes you know basically what you are doing, and is not much good if you don´t have one of the games.

If that is the case, I recommend buying one of them, as they are lots of fun (despite the impression this summary might give).

Modifiers

There are 6 types of modifier: terrain, fortification, river, ridge, unit and leader. Each type is applied at a different time, as described later.

^*An oasis is not a structure. The oases are Day´s Rest, Biggle Stone, Cam´s Well, Pairing Stone, Agape, Moonbroth, the Paps.

The Combat Phase

• Attacker assigns bound spirits and physical agents.
• Attacker declares which stacks are in battles together.
• For each battle
  • DECLARATION Attacker declares which units will take part (those in fortifications need not). Stacks are revealed.
  • CHAOTIC MAGIC Simultaneously, attacker uses the MgF totals of attacking and defending chaotic units and selects the unit loss from each side. IMMUNE: herds, treasures, physical agents, units with MgF = oo, all units if a dragon is among them, units protected by a superhero, disembodied spirits if against units with RF = X or attacking units with RF = 0. A chaotic unit opposed by a dragon is eliminated.
  • PHYSICAL MAGIC For each stack in the battle, depending on the nature of the attacking unit, either
    • PHYSICAL AGENT The attacker uses the CF total of attacking physical agents to roll a d6 and selects the CF loss with terrain and fortification mods for physical magic. IMMUNE: treasures, disembodied spirits, dragons, units stacked with a dragon. Selected herds stampede.
    • ELEMENTAL DEMON Resolve according to the rules for CHAOTIC MAGIC, SPIRIT MAGIC and MÊLÉE.
  • SPIRIT MAGIC Simultaneously, attacker uses the MgF total of attacking magicians with magical leader mods to roll a d6 and selects defender´s MgF loss, and defender uses the MgF total of defending reflecting units, other than magicians providing magical support, with magical leader mods (D S M) to roll a d6 and selects attacker´s MgF loss. IMMUNE: units with MgF = oo, units protected by a superhero, units with MgF < 0 stacked with a superhero, units with MgF < 0 unless all other units have been eliminated, disrupted treasures, all units if a dragon is among them. Selected herds stampede, selected treasures are disrupted.
  • MISSILE FIRE Defender declares which skirmishers are firing on which attacking stack, and uses SF with ridge mods to roll a d6 with terrain, fortification and unit mods. Attacker selects casualties. Attacker declares which skirmishers are firing on which defending stack, and uses their SF with ridge mods to roll a d6 with terrain, fortification and unit mods. Defender selects casualties. IMMUNE: minor units except disembodied spirits in the Dead Place. A selected disrupted herd stampedes.
  • MÊLÉE
    • Attacker rearranges stacks. Herds, disembodied spirits and units from the 4th major down are not involved.
    • Attacker declares which units are withheld. Units below a withheld unit are withheld.
    • Defender may retreat (not into a ZOC) units which are faster than all non-withheld attackers and then such that a covering force is left: disembodied spirits block MgF at 1:1, other units block CF at 6:1. At least one intelligent unit must remain. Bound spirits and privileged units may not retreat.
    • Defender rearranges stacks. Herds, disembodied spirits and units from the 4th major down are not involved.
    • Attacker uses the CF total of attacking units excluding withheld and non-involved ones, with river, ridge and leader mods to roll a d6 (with -1 in rain), and
    • selects defender´s CF loss from the top of the stack downwards, with fortification and, unless the attacker has an unopposed superhero, terrain mods. Disembodied spirits, herds and units with MF = 0 may be bypassed. IMMUNE: uninvolved units, disembodied spirits. Selected non-intelligent units are captured.
    • Defender uses the CF total of involved defending units, doubled, then with river and leader mods to roll a d6, and
    • selects attacker´s CF loss from the top of the stack downwards, with withheld units getting fortification and, unless the defender has an unopposed superhero, terrain mods. Disembodied spirits, herds and units with MF = 0 may be bypassed. IMMUNE: uninvolved units, disembodied spirits. Selected non-intelligent units are captured.
  • ADVANCE AFTER COMBAT Attacker may advance non-disrupted units into vacated hexes, and units with MF > 5 a further MP. All players may rearrange any affected stack.
• Attacker assigns bound spirits for magical support.

Definitions

bound spirit

spirit, MF = X

chaotic

MgF < 0

chaotic spirit

chaotic, CF = X

disembodied spirit

spirit, CF = X

elemental demon

defined by extension

herd

CF contains h (D P) or t (N G)

hero

defined by extension

intelligent

not a herd or treasure

leader

CF contains !

leadership factor (LF)

number of !´s in CF

magical leader

MgF contains !

magical leadership factor (MgLF)

number of !´s in MgF

magician

RF > 2, RF not parenthesised

major

not minor

minor

treasure/CF = X/CF parenthesised

missile factor (SF)

number of *´s in CF

physical agent

MgF = X, RF underlined

physical magician

magician, RF underlined

physical spirit

spirit, CF not X

privileged

hero/stacked with a superhero

reflecting

MgF > 0, RF > 0, RF not parenthesised

skirmisher

CF contains *

spirit

MgF > 1, RF > 1, RF not parenthesised

superhero

defined by extension

treasure

CF contains T

unopposed

not opposed by another superhero

Acknowledgements

Dragon Pass is by Robert Corbett and Greg Stafford; Nomad Gods is by Robert Corbett, Greg Stafford and Stephen Martin. Dragon Pass, Nomad Gods and ``Issaries, Inc´´ are the trademarks of Issaries, Inc, and are used with their permission.

Jonathan Coxhead, 20 Aug 1998